Medical Questions » Heart

Question 1:	I need to know how the heart works for a school project.
Question 2:	Can you tell me please how many beats does a normal heart do in one minute. I am over 70 and my heart when I wake in the morning, and am still in bed, beats only 52 times a minute. Is that too low?
Question 3:	The hospital doctor said that I probably had mitral valve stenosis. Is this serious?
Question 4:	I am concerned about the occasional irregular heartbeat I get for no apparent cause. It happens about once a week for just two or three beats. I am a woman in my 20s and would like to know what it could be.
Question 5:	My wife has been told that her ' funny turns' are due to PAT. Can you tell me who or what is PAT?
Question 6:	I have been asked by my specialist doctor, who looks after my dickey heart, to go for an echo test on my heart. I' ve had some unpleasant experiences with tests on my heart before, and would like you to tell me what is involved.
Question 7:	I am a 16 year old competitive mountain biker. Recently, after working out on a rowing machine for 2 minutes, my pulse rose to 320. My resting pulse is 45. Is this normal?
Question 8:	I' m a 57 year old male, and reasonably fit as I exercise daily with a 20 minute run. After running, while I am cooling down, my pulse drops from 140 to normal in ten minutes, but during this time I notice that I miss a beat every six to eight beats. Is this acceptable, as i would feel foolish going to a doctor if it is normal?
Question 9:	I am 50 years of age and a bit overweight. When my heart races as a result of an emotional upset, or when I walk quickly, I have an uncomfortable tightness in the chest and a funny feeling in my left arm. Could this be angina?
Question 10:	My heart keeps jumping! Every few minutes it gives a funny beat. How can I stop this?
Question 11:	My daughter aged 42 is suffering from pericarditis which she has had for ten months. She is getting injections of cortisone. 1 am very worried about her, and I' m afraid for her. Can you please tell me what can be done for this disease?
Question 12:	I get very short of breath when I walk up stairs. It has only just started and I' m only 56. What can I do to help this?
Question 13:	I am 86 years old, but do not have high blood pressure or cholesterol. My heart is good, but for a long time now I get breathless even if I walk a short distance. I have been advised to take little heart tablets, but am unwilling to do so if I can find any other way to overcome the shortness of breath. What do you suggest?
Question 14:	I heard a nurse in the hospital say that i had a ' tacky cardia' just before I was discharged. I didn' t get a chance to ask her if this was serious. Can you tell me?
Question 15:	My mother-in-law had a heart attack 3 years ago, and she suffers from knee arthritis. Her doctor and physiotherapist tell her to exercise but she won' t. All she does is lie on her bed or sit and watch TV all day. My husband and I are fighting as I say she should do as the doctor says, but he says she doesn' t have to. What do you think?
Question 16:	I am 63 years old and have recently been getting pains in my back at about heart height. Is this a cause for concern?
Question 17:	I suffer from heart palpitations known as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. These attacks are frequent and distressing, and a wide range of medications has failed to control them. One heart specialist has suggested heart surgery to cut the nerves in the heart that are causing the problem, but another has cautioned me against this operation. What do you think I should do?
Question 18:	Despite having a coronary artery bypass graft after a heart attack, I continue to get pain in my left arm and chest wall. Why is this so? I have arthritis in my neck. Could this be responsible?
Question 19:	What causes the heart to miss a beat now and then? Is it dangerous?
Question 20:	My doctor says I have an enlarged heart on X-ray. Is this dangerous?
Question 21:	My doctor says my weakness is due to cardiomyopathy. He has given me tablets but no explanation. Can you help?
Question 22:	I am desperately worried, because my doctor says that my daughter has a heart murmur. He won' t treat it and says I shouldn' t worry, but I can' t help it. How significant is a heart murmur in a 5 year old child?
Question 23:	I have an irregular pulse (1-2 seconds silence every few beats), and and I can hear the pulsation in my ears. Why would this be so? My pulse rate is 90 to 100.
Question 24:	What is a congested heart? I am told I have one. My nose sometimes gets congested, but how can it happen to a heart?
Question 25:	My grandfather is very proud that he has a little computer in his chest that he says is a pacemaker. He claims that he is the only computerised grandfather I have! What does a heart pacemaker do?
Question 26:	What I can do to improve my circulation? I freeze in the winter.
Question 27:	I get pins and needles all over my body during the day, but especially in my hands. What could I take to help this?
Question 28:	I wake up with pins and needles - what nutrients could help this?
Question 29:	What are the nutritional recommendations for someone prone to blood clots?
Question 30:	What do you recommend to avoid deep vein thrombosis of the legs where the blood is referred to as ' sticky' ?
Question 31:	I' ve had a heart attack but my cholesterol levels are OK - what do you suggest I do?
Question 32:	Why do people have heart attacks - is it more than just too many fried breakfasts?
Question 33:	There is a history of heart attacks in my family. Can I do anything with my diet to lessen my risk?
Question 34:	I' ve got high blood pressure. Should my doctor be checking my homocysteine level?
Question 35:	My husband has been prescribed aspirin every day because he' s got heart disease. Are there any alternatives?
Question 36:	What' s your view on chelation therapy for preventing heart disease?
Question 37:	My 78-year-old father is on warfarin, and since having a stroke is rapidly losing his memory and focus. I want to wean him off warfarin and wondered about supplements.
Question 38:	The hospital has advised my wife, who is 73, to come of f garlic, CoQ10, glucosamine, high vitamin C, calcium and omega-3, as they conflict with the warfarin she is taking. What is your view?
Question 39:	What' s your view on statin drugs for lowering high cholesterol?